ii4 LETTERS FROM HIGH LATITUDES. [VIII. 



was not long before Thor was brought down on one knee. 

 Then Utgard Loke stepped forward, bade them cease the 

 struggle, and said that Thor should attempt nothing more 

 at his court. It was now drawing towards night ; Utgard 

 Loke showed Thor and his companions their lodging, where 

 they were well accommodated. 



"As soon as it was light the next morning, up rose Thor 

 and his companions, dressed themselves, and prepared to 

 set out. Then came Utgard Loke, and ordered the table 

 to be set, where there wanted no good provisions, either 

 meat or drink. When they had breakfasted, they set out 

 on their way. Utgard Loke accompanied them out of the 

 castle ; but at parting he asked Thor how the journey had 

 gone off ; whether he had found any man more mighty than 

 himself? Thor answered, that the enterprise had brought 

 him much dishonour, it was not to be denied, and that he 

 must esteem himself a man of no account, which much 

 mortified him. 



" Utgard Loke replied : ' Now will I tell thee the truth, 

 since thou art out of my castle, where, so long as I live and 

 reign, thou shalt never re-enter ; and whither, believe me, 

 thou hadst never come if I had known before what might 

 thou possessest, and that thou wouldst so nearly plunge us 

 into great trouble. False appearances have I created for 

 thee, so that the first time when thou mettest the man in 

 the wood it was I ; and when thou wouldst open the pro- 

 vision-sack, I had laced it together with an iron band, so 

 that thou couldst not find the means to undo it. After that 

 thou struckest at me three times with the hammer. The 

 first stroke was the weakest, and it had been my death had 

 it hit me. Thou sawest by my castle a rock, with three 

 deep square holes, of which one was very deep : those were 

 the marks of thy hammer. The rock I placed in the way 

 of the blow, without thy perceiving it. 



" ' So also in the games, when thou contendedst with my 

 courtiers. When Lopt made his essay, the fact was this : 

 he was very hungry, and ate voraciously ; but he who was 



